The March 25 ceremony and reception at the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in Rosemont, Illinois recognized four individuals and a community partner for their exceptional contributions to the National Wildlife Refuge System. The National Wildlife Refuge Association and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation sponsored awards for the Refuge Manager of the Year, Employee of the Year, and Volunteer of the Year, and the Friends Group of the Year Award. These awards are widely considered the most prestigious honors in the refuge system.
"This awards ceremony offers the refuge community a way to recognize the lasting contributions made by seasoned professionals and experienced volunteers," said refuge association board member Bill Ashe, who presented the awards. "They reflect the outstanding work that is being done by dedicated individuals around the country who labor to keep America=s wild places healthy and strong."
"Tonights winners are among the best and brightest of the many talented and dedicated professionals and volunteers whose tremendous collective effort will carry the National Wildlife Refuge System forward into the new century," said Service Director Jamie Rappaport Clark. "They represent the spirit of the Refuge System. The kind of dedication and perseverance we honor here today are examples of the work needed to reach the goals we set for the Refuge System in Fulfilling the Promise."
Refuge Manager of the Year
Mark Musaus, manager of the A.R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Florida, received the 2000 Refuge Manager of the Year Award for his dynamic leadership in the interagency effort to restore the Everglades ecosystem. Musaus is credited with developing a strong refuge staff, improving morale, and enhancing cooperation with other Service offices in the South Florida Ecosystem Team. During Musaus brief tenure, the refuge has strengthened its relationship with its Afriends@ group, the Loxahatchee Natural History Association, and expanded public use and community outreach programs with a new bicycle trail and the first Everglades Day festival.
Refuge Employee of the Year
Ron Phernetton, who retired on January 1 from his post as a Forester and Fire Management Officer at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Folkston, Georgia, received the Refuge Employee of the Year Award for his contributions as an expert on the role of fire in longleaf pine forests. Among his many accomplishments during 26 years of service are the first intensive surveys of the refuges forests for endangered red-cockaded woodpecker habitat and successful outreach to the surrounding community concerned about wildfires in the swamp. Despite retirement, Phernetton is volunteering his time to complete a comprehensive habitat management plan that will ensure that his vision of the forest ecosystem lives on well into the future.
Refuge Volunteers of the Year
For more than ten years, Paul and Ann Smith have lent their support to virtually all aspects of refuge operations at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Virginia=s Eastern Shore. Thanks to the couples weekly and biweekly shorebird surveys, Chincoteague has some of the best and most reliable shorebird information in the nation. The Smiths have shared their considerable expertise with new personnel and other volunteers, and have lead countless visitors on educational tours. The Smiths also have donated their time and expertise to the nearby Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge, which for years was only able to offer visitor programs because of their generosity.
Friends Group of the Year
Since its founding just three years ago, the Friends of the Rydell Refuge Association has raised more than $250,000 and donated almost 12,000 hours to support the nascent 2,120 acre Rydell National Wildlife Refuge in northwestern Minnesota. Although the refuge only has one full-time staff person, the association=s 65 volunteers serve as hosts at the visitors center, enabling the refuge to be open to the public most Sunday afternoons year round. Dedicated to universal access to the refuge, the Friends of the Rydell Refuge Association recently completed improvement of seven miles of paved or hard trails, providing wheelchair access through the refuge=s forests, lakes, and prairies.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 520 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fish and wildlife management assistance offices, 64 Fishery Resource Offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
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Links">http://refuges100.fws.gov">
